Strange Magic

Strange Magic is a stunning animated film from 2015, directed by veteran industry figure, Gary Rydstrom, produced by abeloved personality in the film industry, George Lucas, and under the heralded Lucasfilm/Touchstone Pictures banner.The film is a daring dive into a vividly imagined fantastical world that spans diverse terrains teeming with magical creatures. Fine performances led by an all-star voice cast of Evan Rachel Wood, Elijah Kelley, and Kristin Chenoweth ignite this enchanting tale.

Bringing to life the premise of a musical fairy tale inspired by Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Strange Magic is filled with eccentric, lovable characters largely frequented in folktales - fairies, elves, goblins, and imps. They are set amidst borders of two mythical kingdoms that contrast each other immensely, one brims with radiant sunlight, lush vegetation, and enchanting flowers, while the other is dreary, murky, full of dark corners and is home to weirdly wonderful creatures.

Evan Rachel Wood gives a vibrant voice-over to Princess Marianne, a peppy, headstrong fairy who is the polar opposite of the stereotypical damsel in distress. She is a role-model to young viewers for her courageous, independent spirit that redefines the idea of a princess in fairy tales. Marianne's world gets turned upside down when she discovers her fiance Roland (voiced by Sam Palladio) is unfaithful, and she emerges from it, more determined and independent.

Roland, desperate to win her back, hatches a plan involving the dreaded Sugar Plum Fairy (voiced by Kristin Chenoweth), who’s been imprisoned in the dark forest by the fearsome Bog King (voiced by Alan Cumming). The Bog King rules the dark forest and vehemently despises love, adding a comic as well as a dark aspect to his character. His interaction with the other characters as the story unfolds is sure to keep the audience captivated.

Lending his voice to Sunny, Elijah Kelley does a fantastic job portraying a lovable elf who's smitten with Princess Marianne's sister, Dawn (voiced by Meredith Anne Bull). The character of Sunny is just as charming and witty as the actor behind his voice. He unwittingly gets entangled in Roland's plot, setting off a chain of events that lead to exciting adventures, misunderstandings, and unexpected alliances.

Strange Magic impressively employs an innovative soundtrack to convey and heighten emotions throughout the narrative. The fastidious song selection amusingly spans several decades, from Elvis Presley to Kelly Clarkson, which are spaciously interspersed to accentuate the character’s feelings. This use of popular tunes to drive the story forward makes the film a contagious sing-along experience that will have audiences of all ages tapping their feet.

Notably, the film’s visual brilliance is a treat for the eyes. The meticulously detailed animation beautifully paints the adventure and drama that takes place amidst vibrant flowers, pastoral landscapes as well as the intriguing dark forest. The soft glow effect infused throughout the film eloquently creates an ethereal fairy-tale atmosphere while the well-executed 3D animation lend a realistic yet dreamy texture to the cosmology of Strange Magic.

Most remarkable, though, is the film’s inspiring thematic underpinning. Straying from the conventional love-story narrative, Strange Magic pushes boundaries to distil a refreshingly different story that shuffles stereotypes. The feature communicates a sincere message that love has no boundaries, it is indiscriminate, resonates in the most unexpected places and can even blossom between the strangest pairs.

In all, Strange Magic is a charmingly unpredictable and melodious expedition into a magical world. Filled with vivid characters, stylish animation, a captivating story, and memorable music, the film offers an altogether mesmerising audio-visual experience guaranteed to entertain and inspire every member of the family. The appeal of Strange Magic isn’t confined to the young audience, its intelligently embedded humor, nuanced narrative and the mature theme makes it suitable for older viewers as well.

Although categorized as a children’s movie, Strange Magic is testament to the fact that animation can be a tremendous medium to convey profound, relatable themes and evoke important conversations about love, acceptance, courage, and self-discovery. It's a film that promotes the idea that beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder and prompts you to see love and people in a different light.